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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cap — a hat
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cap — of ice
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. clip — a video
  22. mark — a trace
  23. object — an aim
  24. cap — a lid

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