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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rash — a series
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. suit — in cards
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stock — a soup base

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