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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — a song
  3. rule — a law
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — goods
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stock — shares
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. present — a gift
  13. track — a path
  14. staff — employees
  15. shower — rain
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fork — in a road
  20. staff — employees
  21. bank — of a river
  22. track — to keep track
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fork — a garden 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