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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: track · present · chair · mate · stock · object · march · bulb

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stock — goods
  5. bulb — for light
  6. object — an aim
  7. present — a gift
  8. march — the month
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chair — a leader
  11. object — to protest
  12. march — the month
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. march — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. present — the time now
  19. mate — a partner
  20. track — a path
  21. stock — shares
  22. mate — a friend
  23. track — a song
  24. present — there

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