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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pop — soda
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pop — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stock — goods
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spring — of water
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — shares
  24. spring — the season

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