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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. net — for catching
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wound — an injury
  12. present — the time now
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — there
  18. net — after costs
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — music
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — a stone
  23. track — a path
  24. rock — to move gently

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