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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — shares
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pop — soda
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — goods
  16. pop — music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. field — for sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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