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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: pass · saw · bear · mouse · cold · board · stock · bound

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — to get on
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stock — goods
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cold — an illness
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bound — certain
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — a committee
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — shares
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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