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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — goods
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stock — shares
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pit — a hole

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