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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. drill — army training
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spell — letters
  14. stock — shares
  15. bass — low music
  16. spell — magic
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bass — the fish
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bass — the instrument

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