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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rule — government
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — of water
  16. bass — low music
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. rule — a law
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stock — a soup base

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