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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 · stand · bark · pitcher · pit · charge · wave · clip

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. clip — a video
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pit — a hole
  11. clip — to cut
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — shares
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. charge — a price
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stand — on your feet

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