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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. scale — size or range
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. field — for sport
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stock — goods
  17. field — farmland
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. board — a committee
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. scale — in music

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