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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 · band · mouse · bark · stock · board · plane · race

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. race — the arms race
  3. game — wild animals
  4. band — a music group
  5. bark — to shout
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. stock — goods
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. game — a match
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mouse — for a computer

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