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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — in biology
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stock — goods
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — in music
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cell — a phone

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