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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. present — the time now
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. fall — to drop
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. present — there
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bass — low music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fall — the season
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mug — a face
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — shares

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