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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — government
  4. stock — goods
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — to bear
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rule — a law
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. trunk — of a car

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