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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a music group
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stock — goods
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a committee
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wind — moving air
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. board — to get on
  17. snap — to click
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. band — a ring
  22. vault — a safe
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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