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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. swing — in golf
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. swing — to play on
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — in cards
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. stock — goods
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bear — the animal

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