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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: lie · present · row · chair · game · fine · march · stock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — goods
  5. march — music
  6. fine — all right
  7. present — a gift
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. present — the time now
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — there
  14. march — the month
  15. row — a line
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. game — wild animals
  18. march — the month
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chair — a professorship

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