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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — a gift
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — there
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. kick — in football
  20. bank — of a river
  21. present — the time now
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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