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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: saw · stick · stock · squash · shower · cap · bark · stand

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — the sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — rain
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cap — a hat
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. squash — the vegetable

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