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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — in control
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — all right
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stock — shares
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. charge — a price

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