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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — to get on
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. mate — to breed
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. board — a committee
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stock — goods
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. scale — in music

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