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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — a hat
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. content — happy
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stock — shares
  24. bulb — for light

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