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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. spring — the season
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. craft — boats
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stock — shares
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stock — goods
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. key — in music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. key — for a lock
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — to drill

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