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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: sharp · charge · stock · deal · band · foot · patient · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. sharp — clever
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stock — goods
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — shares
  11. board — to get on
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. foot — a measure
  14. band — a ring
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. charge — electricity
  22. deal — to handle
  23. board — a committee
  24. deal — a big deal

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