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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pop — soda
  4. field — for sport
  5. key — in music
  6. kick — in football
  7. pop — music
  8. field — farmland
  9. stock — goods
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stock — shares
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — to visit
  16. field — a subject
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. present — there
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. present — a gift

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