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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — shares
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hand — help
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tube — the underground
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. nail — for a hammer

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