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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. last — final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bound — certain
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — the tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. drill — army training
  16. stock — goods
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. last — finally
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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