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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. present — there
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — goods
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bound — certain
  12. rash — a series
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. present — a gift
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. game — a match
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. present — the time now
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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