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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stock — shares
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rock — to move gently

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