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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — soda
  10. file — a tool
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. file — a document
  15. stock — shares
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pop — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — government
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stock — goods

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