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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 116 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
468
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: firm · tube · stock · current · pitcher · chair · capital · lie

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — decided
  5. capital — money
  6. firm — a company
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. current — electric
  10. firm — steady
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stock — shares
  14. tube — the underground
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tube — a container
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — of water
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chair — a leader
  23. capital — a city
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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