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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stock — goods
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — a law
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rest — a break
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. game — wild animals
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — boats
  24. rule — government

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