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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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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: bay · wind · lash · pound · chip · bound · board · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bound — certain
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stock — shares
  17. board — to get on
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. board — a committee
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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