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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. band — a music group
  3. stock — goods
  4. net — in sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. present — the time now
  7. stock — shares
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. board — a committee
  11. present — there
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — after costs
  14. bass — the fish
  15. board — to get on
  16. band — a ring
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. present — a gift
  22. suit — in cards
  23. net — for catching
  24. fall — the season

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