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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stock — goods
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. row — a line
  8. suit — clothes
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. staff — employees
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. suit — to fit
  24. row — a quarrel

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