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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stock — goods
  5. rule — a law
  6. bass — the fish
  7. board — to get on
  8. stock — shares
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lean — thin
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rule — government
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. roll — a list
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — a committee
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stock — a soup base

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