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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stock — goods
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — shares
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — of law
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. court — for sport
  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