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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 124 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. spell — letters
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — goods
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — a short time
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spell — magic
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — shares
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stock — a soup base

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