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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: bore · craft · board · march · stock · hand · pop · safe

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — in cards
  3. craft — boats
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. board — to get on
  7. pop — music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stock — goods
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. march — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. hand — help
  19. board — a committee
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — soda
  24. safe — a strongbox

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