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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — wild animals
  7. content — the amount
  8. rest — a break
  9. present — a gift
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — shares
  12. game — a match
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — hurry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. content — happy
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — the time now

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