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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stock · suit · deal · file · rock · bark · pitch · content

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. file — a tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pitch — completely
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. suit — to fit
  16. content — the amount
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. file — a document
  21. suit — clothes
  22. content — happy
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stock — goods

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