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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — ground
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stock — goods
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. land — a country
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — to come down
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. object — an aim
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com