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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spring — of water
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stock — goods
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bank — of a river
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — shares
  17. bound — certain
  18. spring — the season
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. suit — clothes
  21. scale — in music
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — a coil

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