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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — hasty
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — goods
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stock — shares
  20. rash — a series
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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