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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — goods
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — to shout
  8. court — of law
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — letters
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spell — magic
  20. press — a publisher
  21. court — of a king
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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