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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cabinet · leaves · tube · racket · cold · stock

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. board — a committee
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pit — in a race
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — goods
  10. cold — an illness
  11. tube — the underground
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cold — not warm
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — to get on
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stock — shares
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — to go away

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