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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. staff — a stick
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stock — goods
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. craft — boats
  20. mug — a face
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mug — a cup
  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