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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. board — to get on
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — a group
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for golf
  15. stock — goods
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. club — for dancing
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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