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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stock — goods
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stock — shares
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. kid — child
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — a series
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. racket — for tennis

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