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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: temple · arm · season · board · staff · stock · ball · net

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ball — a dance
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — of the year
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. board — a committee
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. net — for catching
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. season — to add flavour

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