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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. board — to get on
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. board — a committee
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. club — a group
  14. object — an aim
  15. chest — a box
  16. ball — a great time
  17. object — a thing
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — shares
  22. club — for golf
  23. object — to protest
  24. nail — on a finger

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