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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. staff — employees
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cue — a signal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. craft — boats
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. staff — a stick
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cue — a hint
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  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