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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mug — to rob
  5. current — of water
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — goods
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. current — electric
  11. board — to get on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bass — low music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a committee
  24. stock — shares

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