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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — a series
  5. ground — a position
  6. march — the month
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. march — the month
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — a committee
  15. march — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — shares
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. board — to get on
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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