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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stock — shares
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. last — finally
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. present — there
  10. board — to get on
  11. mate — a partner
  12. present — a gift
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. present — the time now
  16. last — to go on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — goods
  19. last — final
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  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