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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: calf · bound · content · row · mate · board · stock · leaves

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bound — certain
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stock — goods
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. content — happy

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