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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: bark · mark · lie · nail · mate · stock · content · fine

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. content — happy
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fine — all right
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — a grade
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stock — shares
  15. content — the amount
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — goods
  20. lie — to recline
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mate — to breed

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