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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 116 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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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: ruler · board · stand · bulb · straw · pound · march · stock

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — shares
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — goods
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. board — to get on
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. march — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — a soup base

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