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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. shower — rain
  7. present — there
  8. board — a committee
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stock — goods
  12. present — a gift
  13. spell — magic
  14. bass — low music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. board — to get on
  18. present — the time now
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. row — a line
  22. stock — shares
  23. spell — letters
  24. bass — the fish

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