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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pop — soda
  5. bark — to shout
  6. court — for sport
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stock — shares
  12. board — a committee
  13. pop — to visit
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. pop — music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — an aim
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. object — a thing
  24. pound — a weight

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