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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: stand · content · pass · bank · bark · stock · kid · straw

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stock — goods
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — shares
  11. kid — child
  12. bark — to shout
  13. content — the amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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