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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: fork · wound · board · leaves · stock · rule · pitch · stand

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rule — government
  9. board — a committee
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rule — a law
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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