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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. land — to come down
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — ground
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stock — goods
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stock — shares
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. land — a country

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