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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bank — for money
  6. kid — to tease
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kid — child
  18. bound — tied together
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stock — shares
  21. bound — certain
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stock — goods

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