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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — a leader
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. staff — a stick
  9. prune — to trim
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. cue — a hint
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. scale — in music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cue — for pool

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