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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mug — a cup
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — shares
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a music group
  20. prune — to trim
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mug — a face

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