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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: stock · spell · arm · stick · row · last · bark · chip

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — letters
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spell — magic
  11. last — to go on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. last — final
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — finally
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — goods
  23. row — a line
  24. stock — shares

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