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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — a committee
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — for dancing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — goods
  8. mug — a cup
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — a face
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. board — to get on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — shares
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mug — to rob

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