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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. scale — in music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stock — goods
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — a stone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rock — music

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