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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: hide · deal · stock · pound · jam · bay · capital · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stock — shares
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. capital — money
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stock — goods
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. deal — to handle
  21. board — a committee
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — a weight
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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