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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · board · nail · spell · chip · stock

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — in sport
  5. board — a committee
  6. spell — letters
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — shares
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spell — magic
  14. board — to get on
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. season — of the year
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chip — to eat

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