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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stock — goods
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. date — the fruit
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — shares
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — in control
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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