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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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. bark — to shout
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — in music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. file — a tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rock — music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — the animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. rock — a stone
  17. file — a document
  18. key — the most important part
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rock — to move gently

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