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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · degree · wound · charge · cabinet · chair · stock · ruler

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. field — for sport
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — an amount
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. field — farmland
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — a subject
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stock — goods
  24. chair — a leader

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