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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · stock · chair · fan · bear · leaves · track · ruler

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. spring — of water
  4. stock — goods
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — a coil
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. track — a path
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. track — a song
  24. fan — to cool the air

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