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

Word bank: sharp · board · racket · stock · branch · row · lean · pit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — goods
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. stock — shares
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — thin
  12. board — a committee
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. board — to get on
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pit — a hole
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lean — to bend
  24. racket — a loud noise

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