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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.

Words on the sheet
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: toast · wind · deal · sharp · saw · bass · stock · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — low music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. deal — to handle
  10. toast — bread
  11. wind — moving air
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stock — goods
  18. wind — moving air
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stock — shares
  23. bass — the fish
  24. sharp — clever

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