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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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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: mark · stock · stem · firm · pass · board · lean · rush

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stock — shares
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. firm — a company
  16. board — to get on
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. firm — steady
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lean — thin
  24. board — a committee

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