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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: leaves · cue · board · season · content · lean · race · stock

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stock — shares
  5. cue — a signal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. content — happy
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. race — humankind
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. race — a contest
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lean — to bend
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. stock — goods
  17. race — the arms race
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. content — the amount
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. season — of the year

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