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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stock — shares
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — the sport
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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