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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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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: present · stock · fall · pound · pitch · board · bear · sharp

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — there
  6. fall — to drop
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. present — the time now
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. stock — shares
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pound — a weight
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — completely
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stock — a soup base

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