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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — after costs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. season — of the year
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — goods
  14. net — for catching
  15. cap — of ice
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. net — in sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — a hat
  20. season — in sport
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stock — shares
  24. wake — before a funeral

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