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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. season — of the year
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — in sport
  10. stock — goods
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mark — a grade
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — a coil
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spring — of water
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bank — for money

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