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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — goods
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — shares
  10. march — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. march — the month
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rush — to hurry

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