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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 124 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. craft — boats
  3. stock — goods
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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