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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: stock · net · craft · pass · board · bound · trunk · degree

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. degree — temperature
  3. net — in sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. net — after costs
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stock — goods
  9. net — for catching
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. craft — a skill
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — boats
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stock — shares
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. craft — a handicraft

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