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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: dip · roll · row · ball · rest · board · stock · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. roll — a cake
  3. board — to get on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — goods
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. row — a line
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rest — a break
  18. row — to paddle
  19. roll — a list
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. board — a committee
  22. stock — shares
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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