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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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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: nail · wake · rest · date · jam · stock · suit · bark

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rest — a break
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bark — to shout
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. suit — in cards
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stock — goods
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. suit — clothes
  24. jam — in traffic

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