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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: sharp · board · wake · calf · ground · stock · land · fan

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — to come down
  4. ground — the earth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. land — a country
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — crushed
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — a position
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. board — a committee
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wake — before a funeral

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