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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. stock — goods
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bank — for money
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stock — shares
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bank — of a river
  9. net — for catching
  10. bank — for money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spring — of water
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. file — a document
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — the season
  22. net — after costs
  23. file — a tool
  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