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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: mouse · board · fall · bore · ground · hide · foot · stock

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. board — a committee
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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