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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — for pool
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — a series
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cue — a hint
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — shares
  15. club — for golf
  16. roll — a list
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cue — a signal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rash — hasty
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chair — a leader

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