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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: board · stock · ruler · bound · spell · branch · field · stem

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — shares
  4. field — for sport
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bound — obliged
  10. field — a subject
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. branch — a division
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stock — goods
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — certain
  20. field — farmland
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spell — letters

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