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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: stock · swing · nail · land · current · bark · toast · board

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. toast — bread
  5. bark — to shout
  6. swing — in golf
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — a country
  9. swing — to play on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — music
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. board — a committee
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — happening now
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. stock — shares
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. land — ground

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