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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — to trim
  5. object — an aim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stock — goods
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — of a river
  12. object — to protest
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — in sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — a thing
  18. suit — in cards
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. net — after costs
  24. squash — the vegetable

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