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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. spell — letters
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stock — shares
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spell — magic
  21. mug — a face
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bark — to shout

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