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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: land · rock · date · rule · snap · stock · board · toast

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. land — ground
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stock — goods
  7. board — to get on
  8. rule — a law
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. land — to come down
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — music
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — a committee
  17. stock — shares
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. land — a country
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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