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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: stock · pound · pit · cap · press · last · chair · suit

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chair — a leader
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stock — goods
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. last — to go on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pit — a hole
  13. last — finally
  14. press — to push
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. suit — to fit
  17. press — newspapers
  18. last — final
  19. stock — shares
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stock — a soup base

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