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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. swing — music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — shares
  7. degree — temperature
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — to play on

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