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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — goods
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. race — the arms race
  6. shower — rain
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. stock — shares
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — a committee
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cap — a lid
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. shower — to wash
  24. board — to get on

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