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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · bark · bear · stock · tube · pitch · racket · trunk

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. face — to confront
  4. tube — a container
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitch — completely
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. tube — the underground
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — shares
  24. racket — for tennis

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