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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. board — a committee
  3. content — happy
  4. craft — a skill
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fall — to drop
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stock — goods
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. row — a line
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. row — to paddle
  19. hand — help
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — shares
  23. fall — the season
  24. board — to get on

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