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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cap — a lid
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stock — shares
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — the sport
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wind — moving air
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wind — to turn a key

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