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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rock — music
  9. stock — shares
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — a position
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hide — animal skin

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