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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. current — electric
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. chest — a box
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. capital — a city
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — after costs
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. net — for catching
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. board — to get on
  22. net — in sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. capital — money

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