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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: board · bank · spell · wound · chest · field · bay · stock

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stock — goods
  12. spell — letters
  13. board — a committee
  14. wound — an injury
  15. field — a subject
  16. stock — shares
  17. bank — for money
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. board — to get on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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