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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stock — goods
  3. chair — a leader
  4. craft — boats
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stock — shares
  19. charge — in control
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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