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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — goods
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stock — shares
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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