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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a match
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — goods
  13. game — wild animals
  14. board — to get on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — a committee
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — shares
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a kind of play

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