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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. drill — army training
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stock — goods
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — a line
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — a practice
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — shares
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bark — of a tree

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