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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pop — soda
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — a container
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pop — music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chair — to sit on

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