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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. club — for golf
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lean — thin
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stock — shares
  13. club — a group
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. court — of law
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lean — to bend
  19. court — for sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bank — of a river
  23. court — of a king
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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