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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spring — of water
  3. pop — soda
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — goods
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pop — music
  14. track — a song
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stock — shares
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. track — a path
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spring — the season
  23. pop — to visit
  24. date — on the calendar

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