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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — goods
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — a short time
  10. march — music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. board — to get on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spell — magic
  18. march — the month
  19. stock — shares
  20. spell — letters
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. march — the month
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. board — a committee

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