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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spring — of water
  7. object — a thing
  8. tear — to rip
  9. spring — the season
  10. mark — a grade
  11. object — to protest
  12. stock — goods
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. tear — from crying
  15. object — an aim
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stock — shares
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tear — from crying

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