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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. file — a tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. stock — shares
  9. file — a line of people
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — goods
  13. board — a committee
  14. firm — decided
  15. object — an aim
  16. firm — steady
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. file — a document
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — a company

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