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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: pitcher · stock · board · bat · bark · object · key · mine

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — in music
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. object — an aim
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. board — a committee
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — shares
  21. object — to protest
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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