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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — shares
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. plane — a tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stock — goods
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stem — to come from
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stand — on your feet

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