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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.

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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. prune — to trim
  5. roll — a list
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bark — to shout
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bank — of a river
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. roll — a cake
  24. date — on the calendar

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