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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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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 · lean · jam · suit · stock · spring · patient · squash

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stock — shares
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. bark — to shout
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — the sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stock — goods
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. squash — to crush
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — thin
  24. suit — to fit

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