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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: fall · squash · track · roll · bark · can · pitch · stock

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — a song
  13. fall — to drop
  14. can — to be able to
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fall — the season
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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