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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bark — to shout
  4. firm — decided
  5. land — ground
  6. stock — goods
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cue — a signal
  9. firm — a company
  10. mate — a friend
  11. land — to come down
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — to breed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stock — shares
  22. mug — to rob
  23. branch — a division
  24. land — a country

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