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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lean — thin
  7. stock — shares
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — farmland
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — goods
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. field — a subject
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cue — a hint

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