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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bass — low music
  8. last — to go on
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. last — final
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stock — shares
  20. last — finally
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stock — goods
  24. stand — for spectators

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