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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rock — music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. firm — steady
  9. bark — to shout
  10. track — a song
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. firm — decided
  15. rock — a stone
  16. object — an aim
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — a path
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. firm — a company
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. object — a thing

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