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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stock — goods
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a song
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — in a road
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chair — a leader
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — a path
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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