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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. net — in sport
  3. stock — goods
  4. spell — a short time
  5. row — a line
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bark — to shout
  9. net — after costs
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spell — magic
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chair — a leader
  18. suit — to fit
  19. net — for catching
  20. spell — letters
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — in cards

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