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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stock — goods
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ball — a dance
  10. dip — to sink
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. scale — size or range
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ball — a great time
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stock — shares
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — in music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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