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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bound — tied together
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — certain
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stock — goods
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bark — to shout

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