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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. capital — money
  6. charge — electricity
  7. capital — a city
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bark — to shout
  11. charge — in control
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. date — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — a price
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. current — electric
  19. stock — shares
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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