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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. land — ground
  5. press — newspapers
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a committee
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — to get on
  14. press — to push
  15. chip — for betting
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a path
  20. land — a country
  21. bat — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. land — to come down
  24. chip — to eat

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