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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stock — goods
  8. clip — for paper
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. clip — a video
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — a tin

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