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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — shares
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pop — music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bass — low music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — a face
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stock — goods
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stock — a soup base

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