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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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — goods
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chest — a box
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chest — of your body

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