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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — a video
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stock — shares
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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