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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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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: board · mug · deal · stick · saw · hand · bark · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. hand — help
  9. board — to get on
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stock — goods
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a committee
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — in cards

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