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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. squash — to crush
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — to go on
  5. stock — shares
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. last — finally
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — army training
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stock — goods
  15. board — a committee
  16. track — a song
  17. squash — the sport
  18. last — final
  19. perch — the fish
  20. track — a path
  21. drill — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — all right
  24. track — to keep track

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