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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. net — after costs
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — shares
  11. snap — to click
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stock — goods
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. net — in sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. temple — a place of worship

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