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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. race — a contest
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — shares
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. race — the arms race
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — humankind
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wave — with your hand

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