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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stock — goods
  6. object — a thing
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. object — to protest
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. branch — a division
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stock — shares
  19. race — a contest
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mug — a face
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. race — humankind

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