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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stock — goods
  5. present — there
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stock — shares
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. present — a gift
  19. capital — a city
  20. vault — a safe
  21. capital — money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — a trace
  24. capital — a big letter

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