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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. net — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stock — shares
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. net — after costs
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. squash — to crush
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stock — goods
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mouse — 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