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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. game — a match
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — shares
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stock — goods
  13. suit — to fit
  14. game — wild animals
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. kid — child
  22. board — a committee
  23. rest — a break
  24. board — to get on

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