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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cap — of ice
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rule — government
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chest — of your body
  12. suit — to fit
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. board — a committee
  16. last — final
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stock — goods
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. chest — a box
  24. cap — a hat

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