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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — of water
  5. march — music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spring — the season
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chip — to eat
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — a committee
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chip — for betting
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. march — the month
  18. spring — a coil
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. board — to get on
  23. bass — low music
  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