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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — clever
  4. track — a song
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. board — to get on
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — shares
  12. board — a committee
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — to keep track
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. track — a path
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ball — a great time

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