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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chair — a leader
  5. firm — decided
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — for sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — a company
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. court — of a king
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — of law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. firm — steady
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — to breed

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