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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — to handle
  7. net — after costs
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stock — goods
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. game — wild animals
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a match
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — for catching
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. branch — of a bank

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