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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: lie · safe · pitcher · cap · chair · fall · stock · current

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — happening now
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — of water
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. current — electric
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. safe — out of danger

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