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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · cell · craft · stock · lie · ball · rule · rock

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stock — shares
  12. craft — boats
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stock — goods
  19. ball — a great time
  20. board — to get on
  21. ball — a dance
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lie — an untruth

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