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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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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: squash · row · safe · hide · stock · bark · pitcher · fall

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stock — goods
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. row — a line
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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