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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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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: safe · bound · hand · pit · board · stand · stock · root

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. root — the cause
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hand — in cards
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — goods
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — to get on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — shares
  18. stand — to bear
  19. board — a committee
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. hand — help
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bound — certain

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