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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: present · bear · mine · stock · kick · field · chip · bark

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. present — the time now
  6. bark — to shout
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. stock — shares
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. chip — for betting
  16. present — a gift
  17. field — for sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mine — an explosive

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