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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. object — to protest
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — for money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. object — an aim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — goods
  14. sharp — clever
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stock — shares
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — a thing
  24. trunk — of a car

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