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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bore — to tire
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. perch — the fish
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. tear — from crying

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