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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stock — shares
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stock — goods
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. board — a committee
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. march — music
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bound — certain
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — boats
  21. rock — a stone
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — low music

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