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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. land — to come down
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rash — a series
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. land — ground
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — a committee
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — shares
  15. can — to be able to
  16. land — a country
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rash — on the skin

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