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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. firm — decided
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stock — goods
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. board — to get on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — steady
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — a company
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — size or range
  21. board — a committee
  22. stock — shares
  23. degree — temperature
  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