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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — to get on
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — goods
  18. lean — thin
  19. stock — shares
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lean — to bend
  23. can — a tin
  24. club — a group

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