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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bank — for money
  4. stock — shares
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bass — the fish
  8. spring — of water
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. object — an aim
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — goods
  21. fine — all right
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fine — high quality

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