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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fine — all right
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stock — goods
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. branch — a division
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — shares

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