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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 · bark · roll · stock · tube · board · dip · toast

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. roll — a list
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. tube — a container
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stock — goods
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tube — the underground
  20. game — wild animals
  21. board — to get on
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — bread
  24. bark — to shout

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