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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. last — final
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bank — of a river
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. scale — in music
  15. last — finally
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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