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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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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stock — shares
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — steady
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. field — a subject
  11. firm — a company
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stock — goods
  15. bank — of a river
  16. row — to paddle
  17. field — farmland
  18. fine — all right
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. cap — a lid
  23. row — a line
  24. chair — a professorship

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