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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chair — a leader
  5. scale — in music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rock — music
  11. snap — to click
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stock — goods
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rash — hasty
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stock — shares
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — a soup base

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