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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: bowl · bay · leaves · fan · stock · board · bark · jam

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. board — to get on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fan — a supporter

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