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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bank — for money
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a committee
  12. vault — a safe
  13. capital — a city
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stock — goods
  20. capital — money
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. racket — for tennis

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