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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — to visit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pop — soda
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — goods
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — shares
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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