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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stock — goods
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. firm — decided
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. content — happy
  12. stock — shares
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hand — in cards
  16. firm — a company
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. press — to push
  24. stock — a soup base

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