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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. board — a committee
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bass — low music
  11. stock — goods
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — electric
  16. stock — shares
  17. fork — in a road
  18. current — happening now
  19. roll — a list
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. current — of water
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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