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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — goods
  4. field — farmland
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stock — shares
  8. bass — the fish
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitch — completely
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. temple — a place of worship

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