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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stock — goods
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — to visit
  9. suit — to fit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pop — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. bat — the animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. suit — clothes

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