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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — a committee
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — to visit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. object — to protest
  13. bank — of a river
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — to get on
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — soda
  20. object — an aim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stock — shares
  24. pop — music

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