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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kick — in football
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. date — the fruit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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