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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 120 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 · stick · bore · stock · firm · march · rest · chair

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stand — to bear
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chair — to sit on

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