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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pop — soda
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stock — goods
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stock — shares

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