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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — to paddle
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. face — to confront
  13. mug — a face
  14. row — a line
  15. face — part of the head
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bass — low music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stock — goods
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pass — a permit

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