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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — low music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. board — to get on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. board — a committee
  21. stock — goods
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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