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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. band — a ring
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — shares
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — the underground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a committee
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. board — to get on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. band — a music group
  15. tube — a container
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. board — a flat piece

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