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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 · wave · board · content · ball · sharp · fall · land

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. content — the amount
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. board — to get on
  11. stock — shares
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — a country
  18. ball — a dance
  19. content — happy
  20. board — a committee
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — goods

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