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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: board · toast · cell · stock · mug · cap · pitcher · foot

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — goods
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cap — of ice
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a face
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mug — to rob
  19. toast — bread
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. foot — a measure

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