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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. track — to keep track
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rash — a series
  8. track — a song
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. track — a path
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — shares
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — to shout

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