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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: board · pit · stand · stock · tube · bay · degree · mate

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mate — a partner
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. mate — to breed
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tube — a container
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stock — shares
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. board — to get on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. degree — an amount

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