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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: game · board · pop · stand · jam · stock · cabinet · kid

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. board — a committee
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pop — music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kid — child
  18. board — to get on
  19. pop — to visit
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — soda
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — a flat piece

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