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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: cell · stick · suit · bass · stock · fan · chair · chest

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bass — low music
  4. chest — a box
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cell — a phone

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