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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: wave · stick · clip · pass · net · stock · row · board

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. board — to get on
  6. net — for catching
  7. stock — goods
  8. clip — a video
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. board — a committee
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. net — in sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. row — to paddle
  21. clip — to cut
  22. row — a line
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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