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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · arm · board · straw · bark · stock · bowl · temple

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — goods
  5. current — of water
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. current — electric
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stock — shares
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bark — to shout
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. current — happening now
  24. arm — part of the body

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