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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stock — shares
  5. pit — a hole
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stock — goods
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — to get on
  15. field — for sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — to protest
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — a thing
  23. fork — in a road
  24. board — a committee

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