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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stock — shares
  5. bark — to shout
  6. current — of water
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stock — goods
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. current — happening now
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. staff — a stick
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. current — electric
  21. cell — in biology
  22. prune — to trim
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — of a tree

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