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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: suit · mouse · bark · mate · object · bowl · stock · clip

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bark — to shout
  3. clip — a video
  4. object — a thing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. suit — in cards
  7. object — to protest
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — an aim
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. suit — to fit

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