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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stock — goods
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — decided
  6. last — finally
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fall — the season
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. board — to get on
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bat — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. wound — an injury
  21. board — a committee
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. object — an aim
  24. stock — shares

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