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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — the season
  22. chest — a box
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chest — of your body

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