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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stock — shares
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. shower — rain
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stock — goods
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chair — a leader
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. track — a path
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wake — a trail

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