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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: season · trunk · chair · jam · roll · saw · racket · stock

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. roll — a list
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — a leader
  18. season — of the year
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. season — in sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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