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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — shares
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. march — music
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — of a king
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ground — a position
  14. stock — goods
  15. march — the month
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. staff — a stick
  19. current — of water
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. march — the month
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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