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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: fine · board · ground · track · stock · stand · drill · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. board — to get on
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. track — to keep track
  9. drill — army training
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ground — a position
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — in sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. track — a path
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — a committee
  19. stock — goods
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fine — high quality
  24. track — a song

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