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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stock — shares
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bank — for money
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bank — for money
  13. mug — a face
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stock — goods
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a ring
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wake — a trail

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