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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. season — in sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. season — of the year
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. land — ground
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — a container
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — for a lock

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