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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: stock · pitcher · jam · object · chair · perch · calf · bowl

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stock — goods
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. object — a thing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. perch — the fish
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. object — to protest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. calf — a young animal

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