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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. season — in sport
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stock — goods
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stock — shares
  15. wound — an injury
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fine — all right
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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