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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — goods
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tear — from crying
  10. net — for catching
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — shares
  13. net — in sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. sharp — exactly

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