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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: lean · ground · can · stock · board · land · key · present

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — there
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lean — thin
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — in music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stock — shares
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — to get on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. can — a tin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. stock — goods
  22. land — ground
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — the time now

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