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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rush — hurry
  4. board — to get on
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. staff — a stick
  16. foot — a measure
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — a committee
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — a practice
  22. staff — employees
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — to handle

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