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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — shares
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — a break

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