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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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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — the time now
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. present — a gift
  10. rash — a series
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stock — goods
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — there
  21. fall — the season
  22. cue — for pool
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — to drop

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