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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rash — a series
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stock — goods
  8. firm — decided
  9. tube — the underground
  10. last — final
  11. stock — shares
  12. last — to go on
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. drill — the tool
  15. last — finally
  16. drill — army training
  17. firm — a company
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — a container
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chair — to sit on

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