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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. object — a thing
  3. spring — a coil
  4. object — to protest
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spring — the season
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. board — to get on
  10. chest — a box
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. board — a committee
  13. fine — all right
  14. can — to be able to
  15. object — an aim
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — high quality
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. chest — of your body

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