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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 116 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: mark · stick · bark · can · tear · stock · cabinet · mouse

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — goods
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — to shout

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