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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stock — shares
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bound — certain
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. board — a committee

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