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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bass — the fish
  3. last — to go on
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stock — shares
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. game — a match
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. vault — a safe
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — the fruit
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. board — a committee
  21. game — wild animals
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bass — low music

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