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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — a cup
  5. board — to get on
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mug — a face
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the sport
  13. board — a committee
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stock — shares
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cap — a hat

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