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

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. board — a committee
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stock — shares
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. band — a music group
  9. cold — not warm
  10. fine — high quality
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — all right
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cold — an illness
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fan — a supporter

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