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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — to protest
  7. board — a committee
  8. object — a thing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. race — the arms race
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stock — goods
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. race — a contest
  22. object — an aim
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — a flat piece

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