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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — shares
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — finally
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. last — final
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. lash — an eyelash

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