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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. object — a thing
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — the cause
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. root — of a word
  14. shower — to wash
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chip — to eat
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chip — for betting
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. object — an aim
  23. root — of a plant
  24. shower — rain

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