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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ground — a position
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stock — shares
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stock — goods
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bore — to drill

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