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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. clip — a video
  10. stock — shares
  11. club — for golf
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cue — a signal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. object — a thing
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. club — a group
  19. clip — to cut
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — to protest
  24. cue — a hint

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