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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — child
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — to get on
  7. track — a path
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. fine — all right
  17. bass — low music
  18. track — a song
  19. bass — the fish
  20. board — a committee
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stock — goods
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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