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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: bore · saw · patient · cap · firm · file · stock · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — shares
  10. firm — steady
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. firm — decided
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stock — goods
  19. firm — a company
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. patient — a sick person

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