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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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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: snap · fine · chair · stock · bear · pound · stand · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stock — goods
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — shares
  20. stand — to bear
  21. snap — to click
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chair — to sit on

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