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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stock — goods
  4. present — the time now
  5. mug — to rob
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mug — a face
  9. scale — in music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. present — there
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — a gift
  16. stock — shares
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lie — an untruth

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