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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — goods
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. net — in sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — for catching
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — shares
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — to shout

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