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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a tool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. root — the cause
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. file — a document
  10. stock — shares
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a word
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rash — hasty
  19. clip — a video
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — goods
  22. clip — to cut
  23. board — to get on
  24. rash — a series

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