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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. row — to paddle
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — army training
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. drill — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. sharp — clever
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. band — a ring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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