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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. present — the time now
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. present — a gift
  10. swing — music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. present — there
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stock — goods
  23. drill — army training
  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