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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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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: stand · stock · race · chair · spell · jam · lie · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. race — the arms race
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stock — goods
  12. race — a contest
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — shares
  16. scale — in music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stand — to bear
  22. race — humankind
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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