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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. drill — army training
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — to come down
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — goods
  24. bat — the animal

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