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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — bread
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — to get on
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — a path
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — shares
  17. track — a song
  18. board — a committee
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chair — a leader
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. land — ground

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