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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — a friend
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a face
  12. mate — to breed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stock — shares
  19. mug — a cup
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mine — for digging
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stock — goods

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