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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 120 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 · suit · squash · cue · bulb · bark · stem · pound

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — for pool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stock — goods
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stock — shares

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