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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitch — completely
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. field — for sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stock — shares
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. field — a subject
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. field — farmland
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. suit — clothes

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