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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.

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: rest · fine · racket · saw · chair · firm · stock · season

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — all right
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. firm — steady
  6. fine — high quality
  7. season — in sport
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. firm — decided
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. firm — a company
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stock — a soup base
  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