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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stock — goods
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. board — to get on
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. club — for golf
  11. last — final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a committee
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — the fish
  24. club — a group

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