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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stock — goods
  20. rash — a series
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chair — a leader

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