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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.

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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: snap · stock · leaves · wave · club · bark · stick · chair

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — shares
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. club — a group
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stock — goods
  12. club — for golf
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. snap — to click
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chair — a professorship

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