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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: stock · sharp · can · bound · rash · board · fan · snap

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stock — goods
  6. bound — certain
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. board — a committee
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. board — to get on
  17. sharp — clever
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — shares
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. rash — a series
  24. sharp — exactly

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