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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stock — goods
  3. capital — money
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — a city
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. drill — army training
  19. pit — a hole
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. drill — the tool

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