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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 · mate · dip · land · capital · stock · bear · tear

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — a city
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. land — ground
  11. board — a committee
  12. land — to come down
  13. capital — money
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mate — a partner
  17. land — a country
  18. mate — a friend
  19. board — to get on
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — to breed

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