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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hand — in cards
  5. track — a song
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a line
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. court — of law
  12. stock — goods
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. bark — to shout
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. court — of a king
  22. stock — shares
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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