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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. club — a group
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bass — the fish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. row — a line
  24. stock — goods

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