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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 · cue · bore · firm · toast · chair · cap · saw

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — decided
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cap — a hat
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. toast — bread
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stock — goods
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. firm — steady

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