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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · suit · object · cell · chair · stock · field · wax

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. field — a subject
  5. suit — clothes
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. object — an aim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. field — for sport
  19. stock — shares
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — to protest
  22. field — farmland
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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