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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — shares
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. season — in sport
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — of the year
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. rock — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bound — tied together
  21. squash — to crush
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bound — obliged

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