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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: chair · firm · season · fine · ruler · stock · scale · saw

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. firm — decided
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. firm — a company
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stock — goods
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — shares
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — in music
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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