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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. court — of a king
  5. stock — goods
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mug — a cup
  11. snap — to click
  12. present — there
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mug — to rob
  15. present — a gift
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. court — for sport
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mug — a face
  23. court — of law
  24. stock — shares

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