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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: track · stick · game · stock · board · bear · degree · perch

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. degree — temperature
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — shares
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — to keep track
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. degree — an amount
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — goods
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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