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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stock — goods
  3. court — of law
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. band — a ring
  6. rule — a law
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. court — for sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. stock — shares
  17. court — of a king
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — government
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. staff — employees
  24. fine — all right

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