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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. last — to go on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. last — final
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. chip — for betting
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. field — a subject
  22. last — finally
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pass — to succeed

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