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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bass — low music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a song
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. board — a committee
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. row — a line
  18. track — a path
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — to get on
  24. rest — a break

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