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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. staff — employees
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cap — a hat
  5. object — to protest
  6. rock — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stock — shares
  13. file — a document
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. racket — for tennis

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