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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. chair — a leader
  3. toast — bread
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rash — a series
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. object — to protest
  9. face — part of the head
  10. object — an aim
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. face — to confront
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. face — to point toward
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stock — shares
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. object — a thing
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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