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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. pop — soda
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stock — shares
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — letters
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. game — wild animals
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — a match
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chair — a leader

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