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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — a leader
  3. track — a path
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — for catching
  8. stock — shares
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — in sport
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — a break
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chair — to sit on

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