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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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468
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: rest · chip · object · bound · racket · foot · stock · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bound — certain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — goods
  6. object — to protest
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stock — shares
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — a thing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bound — tied together
  20. object — an aim
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bark — to shout
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chip — in a computer

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