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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: stock · nail · stand · chest · board · mine · can · jam

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. board — a committee
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chest — of your body
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — to get on
  14. can — a tin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mine — for digging
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chest — a box
  24. jam — in traffic

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