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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — help
  9. object — a thing
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. board — to get on
  14. object — an aim
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. suit — clothes
  17. board — a committee
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. suit — to fit

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