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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stock — goods
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. court — for sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — of a king
  13. firm — a company
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. firm — decided
  17. bark — to shout
  18. court — of law
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. firm — steady
  24. bark — of a tree

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