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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: press · lash · stock · bark · bowl · degree · march · stand

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. degree — an amount
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. march — the month
  14. degree — from a university
  15. march — the month
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stock — shares
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — to push
  24. bowl — a football final

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