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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bark — to shout
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. firm — a company
  9. stock — shares
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — decided
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. firm — steady
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — a container

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