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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: ground · cabinet · lash · net · board · stock · trunk · bass

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stock — goods
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. net — for catching
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — a committee
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. stock — shares
  20. ground — a position
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. board — to get on

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