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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 112 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: tube · chip · straw · saw · bark · rock · rush · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. tube — the underground
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stock — goods
  22. tube — a container
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. tube — in a tire

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