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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bark — to shout
  5. race — humankind
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chip — for betting
  20. board — a committee
  21. race — a contest
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chip — to eat

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