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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bank — of a river
  3. row — to paddle
  4. can — to be able to
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. stock — goods
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a document
  10. cue — a signal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — a tin
  15. file — a tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. club — a group
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bank — for money
  21. cue — for pool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. club — for golf

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