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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — in sport
  5. present — a gift
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. march — the month
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — the time now
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. net — after costs
  17. stock — shares
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stock — goods
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — there
  22. net — for catching
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lash — an eyelash

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