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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 120 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. band — a music group
  6. board — a committee
  7. cap — of ice
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cap — a lid
  12. vault — a safe
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. branch — a division

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