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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. pop — soda
  6. spring — the season
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. firm — a company
  9. mug — a face
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mug — a cup
  15. track — a song
  16. pop — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spring — of water
  24. stock — goods

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