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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stock — shares
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cue — a signal
  12. race — humankind
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — goods
  19. race — a contest
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cue — a hint
  24. race — the arms race

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