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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — the fruit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stock — shares
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — goods
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ruler — for measuring

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