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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: chair · arm · stock · season · bat · bear · suit · fine

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bear — the animal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — of the year
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fine — all right
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chair — a leader

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