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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. content — happy
  6. stock — shares
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bank — for money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. land — ground
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stand — to bear
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. land — a country
  21. bank — of a river
  22. content — the amount
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — goods

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