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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: season · pop · leaves · dip · stock · chair · bark · snap

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — of the year
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pop — soda
  6. season — in sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stock — shares
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — to visit
  13. snap — to click
  14. bark — to shout
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stock — goods
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bark — of a tree

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