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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bank — for money
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — a price
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cell — in biology
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stock — goods
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cell — a phone
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. charge — in control
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. snap — to click
  20. toast — bread
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stock — shares
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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