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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chest — of your body
  3. charge — in control
  4. stock — shares
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — a lid
  7. firm — a company
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cap — of ice
  10. firm — decided
  11. stock — goods
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pound — a weight
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chest — a box
  18. charge — a price
  19. chest — of your body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bank — for money
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pound — for dogs

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