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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — shares
  13. race — a contest
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. race — humankind
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. band — a music group
  21. bank — of a river
  22. race — the arms race
  23. band — a ring
  24. sharp — clever

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