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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. ground — crushed
  5. swing — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. object — to protest
  8. shower — rain
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ground — a position
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — a container
  21. stock — goods
  22. swing — to play on
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chair — a leader

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