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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — to get on
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a match
  8. land — ground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stock — shares
  12. can — a tin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. land — a country
  15. board — a committee
  16. rock — a stone
  17. squash — the sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pop — music
  20. rock — music
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. land — to come down
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stock — goods

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