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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: board · rock · craft · mate · game · toast · stock · fork

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mate — a partner
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. toast — bread
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. board — a committee
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. game — wild animals
  12. craft — boats
  13. game — a match
  14. rock — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rock — a stone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — a friend
  24. craft — a handicraft

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