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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stock — goods
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — a tin
  16. mug — a cup
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. racket — for tennis

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