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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stock — goods
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stock — shares
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. craft — boats
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mug — a face
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — to get on
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. club — a group
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. craft — a handicraft

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