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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mug — to rob
  4. row — to paddle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — the most important part
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stock — goods
  16. mug — a face
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rest — a break
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. key — in music
  23. stock — shares
  24. rest — what's left

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