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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — to get on
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. row — to paddle
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — low music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — a committee
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chip — to eat
  22. row — a line
  23. stock — goods
  24. bass — the instrument

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