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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stock — goods
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. pass — a permit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. court — for sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. court — of law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — to trim
  24. squash — to crush

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