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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — a song
  4. stock — shares
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — goods
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ground — a position
  11. track — a path
  12. ground — the earth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bore — to tire

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