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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — goods
  5. spell — a short time
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rash — a series
  14. spell — magic
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cue — a signal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spell — letters

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