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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — goods
  3. board — a committee
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — ground
  6. court — of a king
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stock — shares
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. staff — employees
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — the season
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. can — to be able to
  21. court — of law
  22. fall — to drop
  23. board — to get on
  24. court — for sport

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