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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stock — shares
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pound — a weight
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. land — to come down
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. roll — a list
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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