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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. key — for a lock
  6. march — the month
  7. board — to get on
  8. march — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. key — in music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. march — the month
  13. pitch — completely
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fall — the season
  24. board — a flat piece

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