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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · rule · clip · swing · stock · bark · toast · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. toast — bread
  3. rule — a law
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. swing — to play on
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stock — goods
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. swing — music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rule — government
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — shares
  23. clip — a video
  24. dip — to dunk

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