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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. deal — to handle
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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