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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: mark · roll · stock · hand · rash · bulb · bear · chair

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hand — help
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — a list
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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