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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — a partner
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chair — to sit on

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