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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tube — a container
  15. cold — an illness
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stock — goods
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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