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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a friend
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stock — goods
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — shares
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rock — music
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. band — a music group

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