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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stock — shares
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. season — in sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stand — to bear
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stock — goods
  13. board — to get on
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. file — a document
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wake — a trail
  23. season — of the year
  24. file — a 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