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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. object — an aim
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — shares
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — a safe
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — to cut
  14. object — a thing
  15. march — music
  16. perch — the fish
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. clip — a video
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — for paper
  21. object — to protest
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. chair — a leader

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