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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mug — a face
  7. stock — shares
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mug — to rob
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stock — goods
  14. mark — a grade
  15. race — the arms race
  16. prune — to trim
  17. race — a contest
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bound — certain
  22. race — humankind
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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