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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 116 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: bank · field · stock · stand · sharp · bark · snap · bulb

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — a subject
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stock — shares
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bark — to shout
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. snap — to click
  19. field — farmland
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — for sport
  23. bark — of a tree
  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