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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. degree — an amount
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — a match
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. last — final
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — to go on
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. saw — the tool

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