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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stock — goods
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. board — to get on
  7. file — a tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. file — a document
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a line of people
  19. board — a committee
  20. stock — shares
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rash — a series
  24. pitcher — a jug

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