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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: hide · march · stock · branch · game · squash · suit · chair

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chair — a leader
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. suit — to fit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the sport
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — a division
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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