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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 do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — farmland
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. field — a subject
  12. board — to get on
  13. object — a thing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rock — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. object — to protest
  18. field — for sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. scale — in music
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — a committee
  24. object — an aim

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