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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · rash · deal · safe · stock · bark · racket · board

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. stock — shares
  3. board — a committee
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — goods
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. deal — to handle
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rash — a series
  23. deal — an agreement
  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