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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kid — child
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rush — hurry
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. can — to be able to
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — to get on
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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