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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — of a king
  4. stock — goods
  5. court — for sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. court — of law
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — of water
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — happening now
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. current — electric
  18. kick — in football
  19. deal — to handle
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stock — shares
  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