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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kick — in football
  3. firm — decided
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chair — a leader
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — steady
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stock — shares
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — wild animals
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kick — with a leg

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