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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stock — shares
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. hand — help

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