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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stock — shares
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stock — goods
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — soda
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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