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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 116 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
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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: tube · board · land · cap · stock · present · mate · fall

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — the season
  4. stock — shares
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — goods
  8. board — to get on
  9. present — a gift
  10. mate — a friend
  11. land — to come down
  12. board — a committee
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fall — to drop
  15. present — the time now
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mate — to breed
  21. present — there
  22. land — ground
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. board — a flat piece

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