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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stock — shares
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stock — goods
  24. staff — employees

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