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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stock — goods
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. club — a group
  8. spring — of water
  9. club — for golf
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — a coil
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bark — to shout
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — of ice
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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