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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. land — to come down
  3. board — a committee
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — to get on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — ground
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — music
  13. swing — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. swing — in golf
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — shares
  21. land — a country
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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