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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — a contest
  6. stock — shares
  7. ball — a great time
  8. race — the arms race
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a committee
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — in sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. race — humankind

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