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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. can — a tin
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stock — shares
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — a container
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. dip — to sink

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