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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. firm — steady
  5. pop — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stock — shares
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — a company
  16. pop — soda
  17. court — of a king
  18. board — to get on
  19. firm — decided
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. court — of law
  23. stock — goods
  24. roll — a cake

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