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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. board — to get on
  3. rock — music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rule — a law
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ball — a great time
  9. firm — steady
  10. rock — a stone
  11. firm — a company
  12. rule — government
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. ball — a dance
  17. shower — rain
  18. board — a committee
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — decided
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a flat piece

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