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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: bound · board · cabinet · stock · bark · stem · pop · track

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stock — shares
  4. track — a song
  5. pop — soda
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bound — certain
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. board — to get on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pop — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stock — goods
  24. stem — to come from

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