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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. can — a tin
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. can — to be able to

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