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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mark — a grade
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — for catching
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. net — after costs
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. net — in sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. roll — a list
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fork — in a road

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