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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: season · can · board · toast · plane · stock · bowl · game

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. can — to be able to
  3. game — a match
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stock — goods
  9. toast — bread
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — shares
  12. board — a committee
  13. season — of the year
  14. plane — a tool
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. season — in sport
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. board — to get on
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — the most admired

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