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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — goods
  5. tube — the underground
  6. court — of a king
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. court — of law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — a container
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bark — of a tree

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