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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bank — for money
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — goods
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bank — for money
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. drill — army training
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cold — not warm
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chip — to eat

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