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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — a gift
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — for a lock
  5. file — a tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bank — of a river
  17. present — the time now
  18. pit — in a race
  19. file — a line of people
  20. present — there
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bear — the animal

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