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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stock — shares
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. board — to get on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stock — goods
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — in music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  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