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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: stock · march · racket · fan · chair · mug

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. march — the month
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — goods
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stock — shares
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. march — music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fan — a supporter

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