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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mine — for digging
  4. board — to get on
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — the month
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. march — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — shares
  18. plane — a tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. march — the month
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stock — goods

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