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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stock — shares
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. mug — a face
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — of a river
  21. band — a ring
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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