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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stock — shares
  3. firm — steady
  4. season — in sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — decided
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. pop — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stock — goods
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — soda
  24. kick — a thrill

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