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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. stock — shares
  2. chip — to eat
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. board — a committee
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stock — goods
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. board — to get on
  22. bark — to shout
  23. chip — in a computer
  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