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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: stock · suit · key · spell · board · fan · squash · mine

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. suit — clothes
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — shares
  15. squash — to crush
  16. suit — to fit
  17. board — a committee
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — letters
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — magic
  22. key — in music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mine — an explosive

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