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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. spring — of water
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — to rob
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. charge — a price
  10. craft — boats
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a face
  13. spring — the season
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — goods
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — electricity
  24. craft — a skill

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