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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: mark · stock · saw · club · rush · board · band · land

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. land — ground
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rush — hurry
  13. board — to get on
  14. club — for golf
  15. stock — shares
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. club — a group
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. land — to come down
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. band — a music group
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. saw — the tool

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