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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — shares
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ball — a great time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. board — to get on
  10. drill — army training
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. drill — a practice
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stock — goods
  24. arm — a part of something

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