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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: racket · stock · cold · bark · plane · can · pop · mouse

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — soda
  7. can — to be able to
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — to visit
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — music
  13. cold — an illness
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cold — not warm
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stock — shares
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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