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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. board — to get on
  3. bound — certain
  4. court — for sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — a committee
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. court — of law
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. court — of a king

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