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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. chair — a leader
  2. season — in sport
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a document
  5. object — a thing
  6. file — a tool
  7. club — a group
  8. season — of the year
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stock — goods
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. club — for golf
  13. object — to protest
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. object — an aim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stock — a soup base
  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