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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rock — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stock — shares
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — a face
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rock — a stone
  21. land — ground
  22. mug — to rob
  23. net — after costs
  24. rock — to move gently

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