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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rest — a break
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — a committee
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stock — goods
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — a soup base

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