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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — a cup
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tube — the underground
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. last — to go on
  16. stock — shares
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stock — goods
  19. last — finally
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. last — final
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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