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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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. charge — electricity
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. suit — to fit
  8. march — music
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — shares
  15. march — the month
  16. field — for sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — to put up with

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