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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stock — shares
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stock — goods
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — wild animals

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