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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — goods
  4. shower — to wash
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stock — shares
  12. bank — of a river
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fine — all right
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cue — for pool
  20. shower — rain
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — thin
  24. fine — high quality

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