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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. row — to paddle
  3. net — after costs
  4. dip — to sink
  5. present — there
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stock — goods
  8. rest — a break
  9. net — for catching
  10. present — a gift
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — in sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — a line

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