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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. present — there
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. present — the time now
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stock — goods
  24. can — a tin

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