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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stock — goods
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. court — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stock — shares
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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