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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. suit — clothes
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — of ice
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stock — shares
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stock — goods
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — to get on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hand — in cards
  20. swing — music
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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