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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stock — goods
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stock — shares
  12. mug — a cup
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mug — a face
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wave — of the sea

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