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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stock — shares
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rash — a series
  24. racket — for tennis

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