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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. board — to get on
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — a thing
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. object — to protest
  13. sharp — clever
  14. field — farmland
  15. stock — shares
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — for sport
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. scale — in music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — size or range
  23. field — a subject
  24. object — an aim

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