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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. land — to come down
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. row — a line
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. board — to get on
  8. swing — music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. land — ground
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. toast — bread
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — to paddle
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. land — a country
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bass — low music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play 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