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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 120 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: dip · club · bowl · bear · bark · net · stock · face

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. face — to confront
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. face — part of the head
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. net — after costs
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. club — for golf
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stock — shares
  24. dip — to dunk

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