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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — in music
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stock — goods
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stock — shares
  16. net — after costs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — to get on
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bark — of a tree

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