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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. land — a country
  4. object — an aim
  5. current — happening now
  6. object — to protest
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — shares
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stock — goods
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. bore — to tire
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — to shout
  23. object — a thing
  24. land — ground

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