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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rule — government
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — goods
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rule — a law
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — the animal

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