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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — to get on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. object — a thing
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. snap — to click
  12. stock — goods
  13. object — an aim
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bound — obliged
  16. board — a committee
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bound — certain
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — a trail

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