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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stock — goods
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. plane — a tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. scale — size or range
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. calf — a young animal

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