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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. club — a group
  4. board — to get on
  5. club — for dancing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cue — a signal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. drill — army training
  13. stock — shares
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. board — a committee
  17. club — for golf
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cue — for pool

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