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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — a group
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stock — shares
  13. drill — army training
  14. row — to paddle
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a line
  17. firm — steady
  18. drill — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. drill — a practice

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