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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: stock · cap · bank · pitcher · club · chest · board · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. board — a committee
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chest — of your body
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stock — goods
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chest — a box
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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