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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stock — goods
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rash — a series

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