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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. game — wild animals
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — to handle
  8. firm — steady
  9. board — to get on
  10. court — for sport
  11. wake — a trail
  12. game — a match
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stock — shares
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. board — a committee
  17. court — of law
  18. stock — goods
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. court — of a king
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. deal — a big deal

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