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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. current — happening now
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. firm — a company
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kid — child
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stock — shares
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — electric
  20. kid — to tease
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — of water
  24. chair — a professorship

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