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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ball — a great time
  4. land — ground
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stock — goods
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chest — of your body
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. board — to get on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. tube — a container
  21. stock — shares
  22. chest — a box
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chest — of your body

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