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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — shares
  3. race — a contest
  4. stock — goods
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pit — a hole
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. court — of a king
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. court — of law
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. swing — music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pound — a weight
  22. race — humankind
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pound — to hit hard

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