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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — in football
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stock — shares
  6. board — a committee
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — to protest
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. spring — of water
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — the season
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — a price
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. charge — electricity

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