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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: season · stick · bay · stock · spring · game · can · board

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — to be able to
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — in sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. board — to get on
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stock — goods
  20. game — a match
  21. spring — of water
  22. season — of the year
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — wild animals

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