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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — goods
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. current — electric
  19. stock — shares
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. prune — the fruit

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