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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. file — a line of people
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. band — a music group
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. file — a document
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fork — in a road
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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