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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — the season
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. bank — for money
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. spring — a coil
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fine — all right
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bank — of a river

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