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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pop — soda
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pop — music
  9. rest — a break
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bark — to shout
  13. net — after costs
  14. stock — shares
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — army training
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stock — goods

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