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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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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: stock · bear · board · firm · bark · bore · net · straw

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — steady
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. net — in sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stock — shares
  17. firm — a company
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. net — after costs
  21. board — a committee
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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