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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.

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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. firm — steady
  2. stock — goods
  3. pound — a weight
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. band — a music group
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — to come from
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. firm — decided
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. foot — a measure
  18. band — a ring
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. firm — a company
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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