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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mug — a face
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rule — a law
  13. stock — goods
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — shares
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chair — a leader

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