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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — shares
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — goods
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rock — music
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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