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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stock — shares
  3. hand — in cards
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chair — a leader
  10. object — to protest
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stock — goods
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fine — all right
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fine — high quality
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. foot — part of the 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