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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — a path
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to sink
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. staff — employees
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stock — shares
  16. field — a subject
  17. snap — to click
  18. field — for sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — farmland
  22. staff — a stick
  23. track — a song
  24. racket — a loud noise

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