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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — a short time
  9. board — a committee
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — a division
  12. fine — all right
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stock — shares
  16. spell — magic
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stock — goods
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. spell — letters
  24. fine — a penalty

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