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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 120 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: bound · mark · hide · stand · chair · saw · stock · charge

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. charge — a price
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bound — certain
  22. charge — in control
  23. saw — the tool
  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