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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: pound · plane · stock · pitch · rush · temple · bark · fall

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bark — to shout
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — goods
  17. fall — to drop
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fall — the season
  20. stock — shares
  21. pound — a weight
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rush — a thrill

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