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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. net — after costs
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. board — to get on
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — for catching
  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