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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stock — shares
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stock — goods
  24. club — for golf

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