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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rock — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rash — a series
  11. stock — goods
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. rock — a stone
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — a company
  22. rash — hasty
  23. file — a document
  24. cap — a lid

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