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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fine — high quality
  5. current — of water
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. content — the amount
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. content — happy
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — shares
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — happening now
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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