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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 124 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. board — a committee
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fine — high quality
  6. drill — a practice
  7. capital — a city
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — army training
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. capital — money
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitch — completely

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