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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — to rob
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. board — a committee
  14. row — a line
  15. march — music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mug — a face
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stock — shares
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. degree — from a university
  24. board — to get on

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