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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. board — to get on
  3. rash — a series
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stock — goods
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. board — a committee
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to click
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. clip — a video
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. clip — to cut
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chip — for betting
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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