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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: staff · charge · vault · saw · march · stand · board · stock

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — the month
  3. stock — shares
  4. march — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stock — goods
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — the month
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. staff — employees
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. board — to get on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — in control
  24. staff — a stick

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