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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. firm — a company
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — decided
  8. ground — the earth
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — shares
  12. last — final
  13. club — for golf
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ground — a position
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — for dancing
  20. firm — steady
  21. stock — goods
  22. last — finally
  23. club — a group
  24. last — to go on

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