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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chair — a leader
  8. board — to get on
  9. stock — goods
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. last — finally
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. content — the amount
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. track — to keep track
  21. content — happy
  22. board — a committee
  23. track — a path
  24. last — final

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