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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. club — for golf
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rule — a law
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stock — goods
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stand — to bear
  18. club — a group
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stock — shares
  21. board — to get on
  22. bass — low music
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. board — a committee

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