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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. object — an aim
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — there
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. present — the time now
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bark — to shout
  14. present — a gift
  15. rule — a law
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. stock — shares
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stock — goods

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