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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stock — goods
  3. board — to get on
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. object — an aim
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. stem — to come from
  10. object — to protest
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — tied together
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bank — for money
  19. object — a thing
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bound — certain

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