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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — to shout
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. present — there
  9. spring — a coil
  10. drill — army training
  11. spring — the season
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stock — goods
  14. deal — to handle
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stock — shares
  20. drill — the tool
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. spring — of water
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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