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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. game — wild animals
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. game — a match
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — all right
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stock — goods
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cell — in biology
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stock — shares
  24. fine — a penalty

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