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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
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: rash · saw · rule · jam · object · pound · stock · chair

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stock — goods
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rash — a series
  10. object — to protest
  11. rule — a law
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stock — shares
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rule — government
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. jam — in traffic

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