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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stock · craft · land · spring · bear · toast · game

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spring — of water
  5. stock — goods
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. craft — boats
  9. game — wild animals
  10. board — to get on
  11. toast — bread
  12. land — a country
  13. stock — shares
  14. spring — the season
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. land — to come down
  18. game — a match
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stock — a soup base

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