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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 · march · stock · firm · trunk · safe · face · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — decided
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bark — to shout
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. face — to confront
  8. squash — the sport
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — steady
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. march — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. stock — goods
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — part of the head
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — to crush
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stock — shares

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