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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. board — to get on
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. charge — in control
  6. content — the amount
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spring — of water
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — the underground
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. stock — goods
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — shares
  23. board — a committee
  24. charge — a price

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