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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: field · bore · last · toast · suit · chair · lie · stock

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chair — a leader
  7. last — final
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — finally
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. last — to go on
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. field — a subject
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — shares
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. toast — bread
  24. suit — clothes

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