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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a song
  6. lean — thin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. current — happening now
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. track — a path
  11. pound — a weight
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lean — to bend
  14. current — electric
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. board — a committee
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. current — of water
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stock — goods
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — to get on

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