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

Word bank: dip · tube · can · shower · band · bark · stock · rock

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stock — shares
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. shower — rain
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rock — music
  10. band — a music group
  11. rock — a stone
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. tube — the underground
  18. dip — to sink
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — goods
  21. band — a ring
  22. tube — a container
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — to be able to

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