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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stock — goods
  3. pit — in a race
  4. face — to confront
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pit — a hole
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stock — shares
  13. sharp — clever
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. face — part of the head
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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