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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: mine · craft · stock · cue · season · board · can · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. rest — a break
  2. craft — boats
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. season — of the year
  7. board — to get on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stock — shares
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cue — a signal
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — a tin
  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