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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 120 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stock — shares
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tube — a container
  7. pop — music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hand — help
  13. pop — to visit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. pop — soda
  17. stock — goods
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rock — music
  23. hand — in cards
  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