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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: hand · board · bear · racket · stock · fork · fine · chest

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. board — a committee
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — goods
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. chest — of your body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. chest — a box
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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