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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — a committee
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. file — a document
  8. present — there
  9. stock — shares
  10. file — a tool
  11. rule — government
  12. board — to get on
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — goods
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — a law
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. shower — to wash

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