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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's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pit — in a race
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. board — a committee
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — goods
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stock — shares

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