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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — shares
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rule — a law
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rule — government
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. date — on the calendar

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