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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. band — a ring
  5. board — a committee
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tube — the underground
  15. board — to get on
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stock — shares
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — a container
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. shower — rain
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. band — a music group

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