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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. stock — shares
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. firm — decided
  7. spring — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. present — a gift
  13. kick — in football
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — goods
  19. firm — steady
  20. present — there
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. present — the time now
  24. can — a tin

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