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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. last — final
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — a thing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. object — to protest
  9. last — finally
  10. ground — crushed
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — goods
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — shares
  17. land — a country
  18. object — an aim
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. land — ground
  21. board — a committee
  22. land — to come down
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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