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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stock — shares
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hand — help

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