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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rash — a series
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — soda
  9. chair — a leader
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — hasty
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — a gift
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — there
  19. pop — music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stock — goods
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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