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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bark — to shout
  5. spring — of water
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — boats
  10. face — part of the head
  11. craft — a skill
  12. spring — the season
  13. stock — shares
  14. spring — a coil
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a path
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — goods
  23. face — to point toward
  24. craft — a handicraft

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