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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — magic
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. board — a committee
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. board — to get on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stock — goods
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fine — all right
  21. kick — in football
  22. stock — shares
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rest — a break

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