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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. suit — to fit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. race — the arms race
  4. file — a tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stock — shares
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. file — a line of people
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. race — a contest
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a document
  18. suit — in cards
  19. race — humankind
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  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