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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cold — an illness
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stock — goods
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stock — shares
  21. board — a committee
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. object — an aim

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