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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 120 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: pitcher · chair · stock · bay · mark · bore · fine · bowl

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stock — shares
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — all right

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