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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. club — a group
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a great time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — to get on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. club — for golf
  17. board — a committee
  18. stock — goods
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ground — a position
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ball — a dance

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