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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stock — shares
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — bread
  9. rule — a law
  10. chair — a leader
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. shower — rain
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rule — government
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stock — goods
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. shower — to wash
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pit — in a race

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