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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bank — of a river
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bank — for money
  9. scale — in music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stock — goods
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — ground
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. squash — the sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country

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