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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: content · stock · board · mouse · hand · clip · row · can

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. clip — a video
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — shares
  6. clip — to cut
  7. hand — in cards
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stock — goods
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — help
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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