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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. press — to push
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tear — to rip
  5. club — for golf
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stock — shares
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stock — goods
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mine — an explosive

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