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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 · rule · shower · suit · pitch · mouse · bulb · stock

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stock — goods
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — government
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. shower — rain

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