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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. club — for golf
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. club — a group
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — ground
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — goods
  16. bass — the fish
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. board — to get on

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