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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — to come down
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. land — ground
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. tear — from crying

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