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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stock — goods
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stock — shares
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mug — a face
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. firm — steady
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tube — in a tire

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