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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: bark · lie · bound · season · bay · net · saw · stock

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bound — obliged
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stock — shares
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. net — for catching
  12. stock — goods
  13. net — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. season — of the year
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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