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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — shares
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. row — a line
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — goods
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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