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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a committee
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bark — to shout
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stock — shares
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — goods
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — a thing
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — an aim

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