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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. net — after costs
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lean — thin
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — for catching
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — electric
  15. bass — low music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stock — goods
  19. board — a committee
  20. net — in sport
  21. stock — shares
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — of water
  24. plane — in geometry

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