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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: bear · stock · season · chair · pop · ruler · lie · date

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — to visit
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stock — goods
  24. pop — music

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