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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. foot — a measure
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — high quality
  9. drill — army training
  10. stock — shares
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stock — goods
  14. staff — a stick
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — to point toward
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fine — all right
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. face — to confront
  24. bark — to shout

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