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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — goods
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bank — of a river
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. capital — a city
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bear — the animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — shares
  23. capital — money
  24. bank — for money

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