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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. board — a committee
  6. suit — in cards
  7. net — after costs
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. net — in sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cold — an illness
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — to get on
  15. cold — not warm
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — clothes
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. net — for catching
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stock — goods
  23. suit — to fit
  24. racket — a loud noise

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