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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rest — a break
  3. stock — shares
  4. pit — a hole
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a committee
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — goods
  12. club — a group
  13. board — to get on
  14. club — for golf
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — a short time
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spell — letters
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. craft — boats
  23. roll — a list
  24. rest — what's left

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