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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wind — moving air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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