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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stock — goods
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stock — shares
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fine — all right
  24. wound — an injury

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