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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. object — an aim
  7. mark — a trace
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. object — a thing
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. object — to protest
  16. stock — shares
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stock — goods
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. chair — a professorship

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