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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bark — to shout
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stock — goods
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lean — thin
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bear — the animal

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