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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: staff · bear · snap · stock · chair · season · cabinet · jam

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. staff — employees
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bear — the animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. snap — to click
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. staff — a stick
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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