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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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 flat piece
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. march — the month
  6. stock — goods
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — a division
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — music
  12. chest — a box
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. march — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. toast — bread
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  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