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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: march · stock · spell · leaves · jam · ground · cabinet · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ground — a position
  8. board — to get on
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a committee
  14. ground — the earth
  15. march — the month
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — magic
  18. march — music
  19. spell — letters
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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