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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. file — a document
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. file — a tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — a committee
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. march — the month
  24. stock — goods

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