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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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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: stock · plane · bay · cell · chair · straw · swing · charge

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chair — a leader
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. charge — electricity
  16. swing — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cell — a phone
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chair — to sit on

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