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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bass — low music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. content — happy
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bass — the fish
  19. board — a committee
  20. content — the amount
  21. pass — a permit
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stock — goods
  24. trunk — of a car

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