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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. key — in music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. track — a path
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tube — a container
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — happening now
  14. track — a song
  15. current — of water
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a committee
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — to get on
  21. key — for a lock
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stock — shares

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