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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: board · season · fall · row · mouse · ground · stock · bay

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — a committee
  6. season — in sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stock — shares
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. row — a line
  18. ground — a position
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fall — the season
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. row — to paddle

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