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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. march — music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — for money
  19. spell — magic
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bank — of a river
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — an aircraft

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