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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. board — to get on
  3. stock — goods
  4. bound — obliged
  5. content — happy
  6. board — a committee
  7. file — a document
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stock — shares
  21. file — a line of people
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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