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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — all right
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mine — for digging
  8. board — to get on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a dance
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. board — a committee
  19. stock — goods
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — a flat piece

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