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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. stock — goods
  2. press — newspapers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stock — shares
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rest — a break
  13. content — happy
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. press — to push
  16. object — to protest
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rest — what's left
  19. object — an aim
  20. content — the amount
  21. object — a thing
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rest — what's left
  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