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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · stem · object · chair · stock · present

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stock — shares
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — a thing
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. present — the time now
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. object — an aim
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. object — to protest
  18. stock — goods

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