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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: firm · face · bank · game · bore · dip · chair · stock

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bank — of a river
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bore — to drill
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. game — wild animals
  11. firm — decided
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — for money
  18. game — a match
  19. stock — shares
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — goods

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