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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: pitch · object · safe · bark · stock · content · land · coach

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — shares
  5. object — a thing
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. land — a country
  11. object — to protest
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. content — happy
  17. land — to come down
  18. content — the amount
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bark — to shout
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — ground
  24. safe — out of danger

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