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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 120 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: board · stock · bear · cabinet · chip · lie · net · rush

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. board — a committee
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. net — after costs
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chip — to eat
  21. net — in sport
  22. stock — shares
  23. rush — hurry
  24. net — for catching

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