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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 124 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. current — of water
  5. mate — a partner
  6. suit — to fit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. current — electric
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — the season
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — to get on
  13. mate — a friend
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. current — happening now
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — to breed
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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