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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. stock — shares
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cap — a hat
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. club — a group
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stock — goods
  18. cap — of ice
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — to get on
  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