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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — a publisher
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. press — to push
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to sink
  23. row — a line
  24. bark — to shout

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