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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. land — a country
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. spring — of water
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. spring — a coil
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — to come down
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. deal — to handle
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — the season
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stock — shares

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