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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. current — of water
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. content — the amount
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — happening now
  18. pound — a weight
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stock — shares
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. current — electric

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