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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. date — the fruit
  20. season — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — a tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitcher — a jug

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