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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. stock — a soup base
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — a thing
  8. board — a committee
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. board — to get on
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stock — goods
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — an aim
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — to protest
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — a video
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — the animal
  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