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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. board — to get on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. capital — a city
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. capital — money
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. press — a publisher
  22. object — to protest
  23. board — a committee
  24. leaves — lets stay

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