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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: stick · drill · patient · bay · stock · lash · pop · bark

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stock — goods
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pop — to visit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pop — soda
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — shares
  22. drill — army training
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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