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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: stand · bark · bound · trunk · stock · spell · wound · board

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — to get on
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stock — goods
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — a committee
  11. stand — to bear
  12. spell — magic
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — shares
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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