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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. plane — a tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — a practice
  6. row — to paddle
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. row — a line

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