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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stock — shares
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — low music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — a match
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — the fish
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stock — goods
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. kick — in football

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