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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · mug · stock · dip · bark · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mug — a cup
  7. board — a committee
  8. stock — goods
  9. field — farmland
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — a face
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bark — to shout
  18. field — a subject

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