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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. board — to get on
  3. mug — to rob
  4. band — a music group
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pop — soda
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pop — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — to visit
  15. capital — money
  16. band — a ring
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mug — a face
  20. perch — the fish
  21. capital — a city
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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