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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — goods
  6. pop — to visit
  7. net — in sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — soda
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bass — the fish
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — for catching
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. ball — a dance
  18. net — after costs
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pop — music
  24. hand — help

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