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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: stock · plane · spring · mouse · board · trunk · tube · content

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — the amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spring — the season
  9. stock — shares
  10. spring — of water
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stock — goods
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tube — a container
  22. plane — a tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stock — a soup base

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