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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: bay · bark · row · stand · drill · stock · pop · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stock — goods
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pop — music
  8. stock — shares
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. row — to paddle
  12. net — after costs
  13. drill — army training
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. net — in sport
  24. row — a line

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