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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — certain
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stock — goods
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bound — tied together
  16. date — the fruit
  17. kid — child
  18. bound — obliged
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bore — to tire
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bore — to drill

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