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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. board — to get on
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stand — to bear
  7. board — a committee
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a partner
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stock — shares
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mate — to breed
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — employees
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fork — in a road
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stock — goods
  24. fork — a garden tool

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