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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: mate · stock · stand · ball · tube · spell · wound · board

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — letters
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spell — magic
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stock — shares
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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