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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: stock · field · board · fall · content · wake · lash · mark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. field — farmland
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. field — a subject
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. content — the amount
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — a committee
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — a trail
  16. content — happy
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. field — for sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wake — before a funeral

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