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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. object — a thing
  3. clip — to cut
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. board — a committee
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ball — a dance
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — a lid
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. object — an aim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stock — shares
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — a video
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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