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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mate — a partner
  7. chair — a leader
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. firm — a company
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — steady
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — decided
  24. branch — a division

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