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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. track — to keep track
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — low music
  10. stock — shares
  11. board — a committee
  12. stock — goods
  13. ball — a great time
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. squash — to crush
  20. track — a song
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a dance
  23. board — to get on
  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