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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. track — a song
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. leaves — to go away

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