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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: board · stock · tube · row · club · lie · coach · racket

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stock — goods
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. club — a group
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. board — a committee
  20. tube — a container
  21. stock — shares
  22. tube — the underground
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lie — to recline

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