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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: jam · plane · stock · kid · present · craft · board · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — to get on
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. plane — a tool
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. present — there
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — the time now
  18. stock — shares
  19. craft — boats
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stock — goods
  24. kid — child

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