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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — to get on
  8. club — a group
  9. shower — to wash
  10. club — for dancing
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. root — the cause
  16. shower — rain
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. board — a committee
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — for golf
  23. stock — shares
  24. bowl — to roll

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