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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 120 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 · capital · bark · can · stock · racket · stem · net

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — a committee
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — to get on
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. net — after costs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. capital — a city
  13. stock — goods
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. net — in sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — money
  20. stem — to come from
  21. net — for catching
  22. can — to be able to
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. board — a flat piece

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