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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. firm — steady
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — goods
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. bark — to shout
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bark — of a tree

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