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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. drill — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — army training
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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