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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: stock · saw · rush · pass · bark · snap · tube · ball

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stock — shares
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to click
  22. stock — goods
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bark — of a tree

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