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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: game · craft · board · bark · current · cold · stock · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stock — goods
  5. current — electric
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stock — shares
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — a match
  17. craft — a skill
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — wild animals
  22. board — a committee
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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