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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. track — a song
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. spring — of water
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spring — a coil
  12. charge — a price
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — a phone
  19. track — a path
  20. stock — shares
  21. charge — in control
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — to get on
  24. spring — the season

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