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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — goods
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — magic
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — for a lock
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bank — of a river
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stock — shares
  18. hand — in cards
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spell — letters
  24. stock — a soup base

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