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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — for pool
  3. land — to come down
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bark — to shout
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. net — in sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. racket — for tennis

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