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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · board · bark · cell · content · chip · stock · trunk

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. board — a committee
  6. ground — crushed
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stock — goods
  12. content — the amount
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chip — to eat
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ground — a position
  18. cell — a phone
  19. content — happy
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ground — the earth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stock — shares

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