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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — boats
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chip — to eat
  14. root — of a word
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chip — for betting
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. root — the cause
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stock — shares
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. root — of a plant

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