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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stock — goods
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bass — low music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — to crush

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