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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stock — goods
  5. clip — for paper
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — to shout
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. clip — a video
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — a face
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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