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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.

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: bark · bank · tube · cell · plane · bat · bass · stock

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stock — goods
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stock — shares
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bass — low music
  20. tube — a container
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bank — for money

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