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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — help
  4. firm — decided
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. present — the time now
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — to grow
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hand — in cards
  22. firm — a company
  23. mine — for digging
  24. leaves — lets stay

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