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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · bass · stock · leaves · toast · race · board · shower

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stock — shares
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stock — goods
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — to get on
  14. race — humankind
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. race — a contest
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — the instrument

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