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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mug — a face
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chest — of your body
  13. root — the cause
  14. stock — shares
  15. root — of a word
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. chest — a box

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