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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. row — a line
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — shares
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fine — all right
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bark — of a tree

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