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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — shares
  7. bound — tied together
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bound — certain
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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