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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stock — shares
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spring — of water
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — to get on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rule — a law
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rule — government
  18. kick — in football
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. saw — the tool

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