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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — of water
  3. board — to get on
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stock — goods
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — happening now
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — low music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bat — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. bass — the instrument

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