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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — shares
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fall — the season
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — to shout
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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