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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stock — shares
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. file — a tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. drill — army training
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — the tool
  14. file — a document
  15. board — to get on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — goods
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bore — to drill
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — a committee

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