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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — goods
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — a committee
  7. rule — a law
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rule — government
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rock — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — to get on

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