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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 120 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: track · rash · drill · stock · can · bat · board · present

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rash — a series
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. stock — goods
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stock — shares
  11. track — a path
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. present — there
  15. track — a song
  16. board — to get on
  17. present — a gift
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bat — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — the time now

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