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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: fall · stock · chip · board · arm · wake · nail · bound

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — the season
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stock — goods
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. board — to get on
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. board — a committee
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bound — certain
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — obliged

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