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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — shares
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stock — goods
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. can — a tin
  24. suit — to fit

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